Staying Safe on New Year’s

December 31, 2015December 31, 2015Leave a comment

2016 is almost here and surely you have figured out what your plans are tonight. Whether it’s hosting a dinner party of your own (see outfit ideas and lucky foods to include in your menu), bar hopping downtown or just heading down the street to a friend’s house for a party, it’s important to stay safe.

More likely than not there will be checkpoints around your town tonight. I know there surely will be in San Francisco and up north where I live in Marin County. It’s important to remember how you can get home safely on New Year’s:

Uber: While I have yet to truly need to utilize Uber, it does come in handy in situations like tonight. Before you go out, be sure to download the app on your smartphone and get everything set up prior to your NYE festivities.
Lyft: I have never used Lyft, but how cute are those pink mustaches on the cars? Easy to pinpoint in a dark setting, Lyft will take you anywhere in San Francisco (and other cities) and get you to your destination safely.
Taxi: I always have my local taxi company programmed into my phone. Might be a good idea prior to heading out, just in case Lyft or Uber can’t swing by and pick you up.
Designated Driver: If you’re lucky, one of your friends will offer being the DD for the night. Easy solution to getting from point A to point B safely.
Bus (or other forms of public transportation): When there’s no other option, busses come in handy. While it can be a bit of a trek to get home via bus, it’s worth it to remember that it is an option for you.

I hope you all have a fabulous New Year and I will see you in 2016.

xoxo,

Leigh

Lucky New Year’s Foods

December 29, 2015December 29, 20151 Comment

New Year’s Eve is only days away! Yesterday Veronica shared six sequin-inspired outfits to glam it up at your New Year’s Eve party. Next question is: what food to serve?

Growing up, there would always be bowls of different things to eat at the stroke of midnight: grapes, noodles, a lentil bean soup, something green, something sweet and others. As a kid, I didn’t understand why we had to eat a bite of each thing, but as a teen my godmother explained that each food brings forth potential luck. While I’m not really into the superstition behind it all, but it’s still something different to include in your New Year’s festivities. Reader’s Digest does a good job of explaining each one, but here are four of my favorites you might want to have on your coffee table next to the party poppers and champagne. Or – you can incorporate these into your dinner menu for the evening.

Greens resemble potential money to be made in the upcoming year.

Noodles resemble a long life, so be sure to find the longest piece of pasta and eat that one.

Cake (specifically a round cake [go for bundt if you want!]) resembles something coming full circle. Be sure to indulge in this one.

Grapes resembles how your year ahead will be. I would always eat 12, one for each month, and if I ended up eating a few sour ones, those were the months to watch out for in the new year.

What are some of your New Year’s Eve traditions? Let me know in the comments.

xoxo,

Leigh

New Year’s Eve Outfit Ideas

December 28, 2015December 28, 20152 Comments

For most women, New Year’s Eve means sequins galore. It’s the perfect excuse to get all glammed up and wear your shiniest, sparkliest clothes and accessories. But sequins can be expensive, and who wants to spend a ton of money on a dress or outfit that can really only be worn one day a year (unless you’re the adventurous outfit type).

My solution to budget-friendly dressing is to shop your own closet! What basics do you have that could already work toward an outfit? Then add one shiny, glittery, fabulous piece (could be a shirt, shoes, necklace, clutch etc) that makes it special for New Year’s Eve. This way you’ll only be buying one new item, or you may realize you already have something that could work – sometimes it’s just putting pieces together in a new way. Here are some outfits I’ve come up with to create a New Year’s Eve outfit that’s perfectly blingy and wallet-friendly. And if you’re feeling really daring, you can even pair two of the sparkly pieces together (the gold blazer and black sequin shorts for instance). Cheers!

From top to bottom:
Forever 21 Zip-Back Sequined Top $25
H&M Sequined Skirt $50
H&M Sequined Jacket $60
H&M Sequined Shorts $13
DSW Michael Antonio Citron Wedge Bootie $45
Forever 21 Sequined Capri Pants $33

Do you have your New Year’s Eve outfit planned yet? What are you wearing?

xoxo,
Veronica

Winter is Here

December 24, 20155 Comments

Winter is coming… Actually it’s already here. As I type this blog post my husband is in the driver’s seat and we are en route to Bend, Oregon for Christmas! Here are some snaps that I have taken so far. I will be sure to add more once we get to my in-law’s house.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and happy new year!

What are your plans for tonight and tomorrow?

Holiday Traditions

December 23, 20152 Comments

Christmas tree

The tree is up, the presents are (mostly) all wrapped, and the bags are packed and ready for the drive to my parents house tomorrow. I’m so excited to have a little break from work and just spend time with family. And speaking of family, one of my favorite things about this time of the year are all of the holiday traditions we have. I mentioned in a previous post how we always go to a movie on Christmas Eve (we’re seeing Star Wars this year of course), and on Christmas Day we stay in pajamas and drink hot cocoa while opening presents (see my cozy favorites here). But another one I wanted to share is our tradition of a Christmas tree full of love and memories.

Our tiny tree is quirky and full of an assortment of ornaments, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Each ornament is a memory, and hanging them on the tree is a joyous trip through the past: the bead wreath I made in elementary school, a dancing bear a friend gave me when I was on dance team in high school, a sand dollar ornament my husband and I bought in Carmel, CA on our first wedding anniversary.

When I was younger, every year my parents would take my brother and I to an ornament store and let us each pick out an ornament. I would of course go for the biggest, gaudiest ornament – my favorite was the giant glittery peacock that now serves as a topper for our tree (it’s that big). I loved that tradition, and try to continue it even now with my husband, buying at least one new ornament every year (and I can’t wait to carry it on if we have a family of our own one day!). On our tree nothing matches, everything is a different size and shape, but to me it’s the most beautiful tree in the world because it’s full of love.

Do you have family traditions this time of the year? I wish everyone a happy and safe holiday! And just for fun, here’s a bonus pic of my cat under the tree – too cute not to share! 🙂

Cat under tree

xoxo,
Veronica

Recipe: Holiday Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

December 22, 2015December 21, 2015Leave a comment

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With Christmas Eve just two days away, you’re probably thinking about what desserts to serve at your holiday party or how to be festive without going overboard. This time of year, personally, I enjoy baking anything from brownies and muffins to cookies and mini cupcakes. A staple in my household this time of year is a great dark chocolate peppermint cookie recipe from AllRecipes.com. The original recipe is by Jackie Schmidt and features mini mint candies on top. I modified the recipe to include real peppermint candies. Here it is:

Ingredients

3/4 cups butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups dark chocolate chips (semi-sweet or unsweetened, your choice)
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10-12 peppermint candies, crushed (you can add more if you’d like)

Directions

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat, stir in the dark chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl (or electric mixer bowl if you have one) and beat in the eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the chocolate mixture. Here’s the variation: add the crushed peppermint candies into the mixture. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease cookies sheets. Roll cookie dough into walnut sized balls (they can be a little bigger) and place 2 inches apart on the greased cookie sheets.
Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven. Be careful not to overbake. When the cookies come out, some of the peppermint candy may seep out the sides, but that’s okay! It’s supposed to do that. Makes around 3 dozen cookies.

While it’s a little bit of a process to make these, they sure are a popular item at my holiday parties.

What’s your favorite holiday dessert? Let me know in the comments below!

Wishing you all a very happy holiday.

xoxo,

Leigh

Christmas Day Cozy Favorites

December 21, 20159 Comments

One of my favorite things about Christmas Day has to be the fact that there is no excuse needed for staying in pajamas the entire day. My only plans include making hot cocoa, opening presents, and lounging in front of the fire reading a book. Below I’ve shared some of my ultimate favorite coziest finds, with some fun holiday pieces thrown in the mix.

Cozy favorites

My favorite soft, plush robe that I live in all year round.
The perfect lounging graphic shirt with a fun saying.
Curl up in the coziest down blanket ever in front of the fireplace.
Keep track of your hot cocoa with this personalized initial mug.
These holiday knit pajama pants will keep you warm.
Who doesn’t like a good crew sock in a festive color?
Down-filled foot duvets – sleeping bags for your feet!

What is your favorite way to spend Christmas Day? Will you be lounging in your pjs like me?

xoxo,
Veronica

Star Wars Week Wrap-up

December 18, 2015December 18, 20151 Comment

It’s here, the final day of Star Wars week on SassySweetSF. We’ve decided to leave you with a pic of us wearing our Star Wars shirts (seen in Leigh’s fashion post on Tuesday). We are total nerds and wore them to work yesterday to celebrate the premiere day – twinning! I hope you enjoyed our theme week and that you have a chance to go out and see the movie soon! I’m not seeing it until Christmas Eve with my family (we have a movie night tradition), so no spoilers! But I do have a review (and pics) from Leigh who saw it last night with her husband:

“Definitely worth the 2 hour wait in line [we were first!] and we will be seeing it again. Star Wars fans will not be disappointed with this seventh installment of the franchise.”

Let us know if you see the movie and what you think!

xoxo,

Veronica

Star Wars: Movie Theater Snack

December 17, 2015December 17, 2015Leave a comment

The time has come. After waiting what seems like forever, Star Wars: The Force Awakens premieres tonight at theaters across the country. And it’s also one of the last Star Wars related posts here on SassySweetSF (see Star Wars makeup, Star Wars fashion and Star Wars pet accessories).

Paying a high price to get those movie tickets can be a damper on the wallet, but purchasing snacks is another feat. Movie theater popcorn is addicting, so obviously that is the one snack that will most likely be purchased (my hubby and I are seeing the movie tonight and share a layered large popcorn – regular, kettle, regular). Candy? Ice cream? Beverages? That’s a whole other story. In today’s post I’m going to share with you my movie theater hack for sneaking in a healthy snack that’s Star Wars themed.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dark chocolate covered raisins (Darth Vader!)
1 cup yogurt covered raisins (or any other yogurt covered goodness you enjoy) (Stormtroopers!)
20 blue M&Ms (light side)
20 green M&Ms (light side/Jedi)
20 red M&Ms (dark side)
1/2 cup almonds (dry roasted, optional)
1/2 cup peanuts (lightly salted, optional)
Optional: handful of sunflower seeds

To Prepare:

In a sandwich or larger Ziploc bag, pour in the dark chocolate covered raisins, yogurt raisins, three varieties of M&Ms, almonds, peanuts and sunflower seeds (optional). Zip up the bag and shake it to mix all the ingredients together. Slip it into your purse and you’re set for your sweet and savory treat.

Another thing to remember, is unless you’re really wanting that large Coca Cola with light ice, put a bottle of water in your purse to sneak into the theater.

I hope you truly enjoy Star Wars: The Force Awakens tonight. I know I will! 🙂

What are your favorite snacks to bring into a theater, movie themed or not?

xoxo,

Leigh

Star Wars: Pet Toys and Apparel

December 16, 20154 Comments

This week on SassySweetSF we’ve shared Star Wars inspired makeup and Star Wars fashions, but we can’t forget about our furry best friends, our pets! Luckily, Petco has an entire line Star Wars pet fans products so that our dogs and cats can share in the fandom too.

The line is quite expansive (I counted 77 products this morning), with everything from Chewbacca harnesses to Boba Fett chew toys. My cat Tux has the Yoda and Chewbacca mice cat toys (which he loves) and Yoda cat headpiece (which he hates). But he’s just so cute in it, it cracks me up every time!

{Not a happy camper, but so cute!}

{Playing with the Chewbacca mouse last Christmas – his favorite present}

The toys are all fairly inexpensive, and are great fun for both the pets and owners alike. They’re also a perfect holiday present for your cat or dog! What do you think, does your pet need one (or all!) of these?

xoxo,

Veronica